9 holiday beauty lessons from makeup artist Bradford Knight

Makeup & nails

9 holiday beauty lessons from makeup artist Bradford Knight

Five minutes before your soirée is not the best time to try a look you saw on the Vivienne Westwood runway, FYI.

Is glitter garish? What does Charlie's Angels have to do your next holiday function? Estée Lauder's global makeup artist Bradford Knight answers these questions and shares the best beauty tips of the holiday season, below.

What are some of the biggest mistakes people make when getting ready for a holiday party?

One of the biggest mistakes is when people are too ambitious—they try a look they haven’t practiced before and it doesn’t look authentic.

You have five minutes before a big night out—where should you focus your efforts?

What trend would you love to see come back? And which one would you love to never see again?

I would love to see the over-blushed Charlie’s Angels-look come back. Blush-focused makeup gives a gorgeous flushed appearance that is very feminine. Heavy eyeshadow is a trend I never want to see again.

What product should women always carry in their bag during the day/and at night?

During the day, mascara will do more for your eyes than an eyeliner or shadow ever will. Try the Estée Lauder Sumptuous Knockout Mascara, it will frame the face. At night, a skin illuminator will provide an incandescent glow. It’s spectacular when your face catches the right light, and if applied properly, it can give you an ethereal radiance.

When layering lipstick, should you start with the lighter or darker colour—or does it matter?

It depends on what look you’re creating. If you are striving for voluptuousness, start with the darker colour first. If you want the appearance of a stain, apply the lighter shade first and blend to the deeper colour in the centre.

When we look back on the 2010s-2020s, how will we describe the makeup aesthetic?

This will be the decade of the ultra-matte red lip. Matte red lipstick has been by far the most prominent product of the decade.

Using illuminating moisturizers, like Estée Lauder’s Revitalizing Supreme+ Global Anti-Aging Wake Up Balm, can give you a hydrating glow without the extra makeup.

Grown up glitter: garish or wonderful?

Garish! Glitter looks good in photos, but rarely translates into real life. It gets messy and there’s often a lot of fall-out on to the face. It also tends to stick with you for the next six months!

What are some innovative ways to use everyday makeup?

Using a lip gloss or balm on your eyes with a lot of mascara adds texture, instead of colour. When using this technique, just make sure the product isn’t minty or fragrant! Nude lipstick acts as a great textured eyeshadow as well.